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Fit for a King: The BMW 507

Throwback Thursday is a day to honor instant classics, and perhaps no one knew more about instant classics than Elvis. The King of Rock had a nigh untouchable string of number one hits spanning his career, and we want to look at one that was only available in a much more limited release. We’re talking about Elvis’s 1957 BMW 507.

Photo: BMW

The 507 was handmade and crafted from aluminum. In its day, it was not the most powerful car on the market, but it was perhaps the most beautiful. The level of detail and the unique curvature of the body made it desirable for many celebrities, including Elvis. That said, it was expensive to produce and also had a hefty sticker price – in native Germany, the asking price of the car was as much as most peoples’ homes. Only 254 of this model were ever built, which only added to its value.

Photo: BMW

Elvis drove his while he was serving in Germany. Stationed in Friedberg, the young army sergeant picked it up second-hand – the King’s 507 had previously been a display car, a press car, and a race car. If you believe the legend, the car was originally white, but Elvis had it painted red because he grew weary of female admirers writing their phone number on the side in lipstick.

No one is certain what exactly happened to the car after Elvis returned to the US, but BMW has it now. It just finished serving time in a special exhibit at the BMW Museum in Munich, and now the Bavarians have announced plans to thoroughly restore it. They say it will take nearly two years to restore this classic roadster to its former beauty, but we’re sure that the wait will be well worth it.

The BMW 507’s stunning physique has echoed across time and we can assure you there are many new BMW models sitting pretty in our showroom that might have caught the King’s eye if he were with us today. Visit us at Leith BMW in Raleigh if you want to have a little more conversation about any of them.